7000-series (CTA)
| Industry | Railcar manufacturing |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Chicago, Illinois , United States |
| Products | 7000-series railcars for Chicago Transit Authority |
Number of employees | 170 |
The 7000-series railcars were commissioned by the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) to serve the Chicago "L" network. The initial order of 400 units is intended to replace the outdated 1980s-era 2600-series trains operating on the Blue, Brown, and Orange Lines. Should all options for an extra 446 cars be exercised, these would supplant the early-1990s 3200-series trains running on the Blue and Brown Lines. The total contract for all 846 cars is valued at roughly $1.3 billion.
The agreement stipulated delivery of ten prototype vehicles by October 2019, with full-scale production commencing in October 2020 at a pace of ten cars monthly. Each car costs approximately $1.58 million. The prototypes were delivered for evaluation in August 2020, and completion of the base order is anticipated by 2024.
Once fully operational, the CTA aims for the 7000-series to bring its fleet to a modern standard, creating one of the youngest rapid transit fleets nationwide with an average age of just 13 years. By contrast, comparable transit systems have considerably older fleets: Boston averages 27 years, Washington D.C. 25 years, New York City 22 years, and San Francisco 18 years. Revenue service testing involving ten cars began on April 21, 2021.
Features
Each car in the 7000-series accommodates between 37 and 38 seated passengers and integrates design aspects from both the 3200-series and 5000-series. They utilize AC propulsion technology that delivers smoother acceleration while lowering maintenance expenses and wear, in addition to improving energy efficiency through regenerative braking systems. Additional amenities include interior surveillance cameras, GPS-based route mapping, glow-in-the-dark emergency exit signage, operator-controlled ventilation systems, and upgraded suspension components to enhance ride comfort. LED displays provide real-time transit information, while LCD monitors near doors show live camera feeds to discourage criminal activity.
The seating was redesigned to improve ergonomics and offer more legroom; seats are mounted on diagonal poles to facilitate cleaning. This series features a higher number of front- and rear-facing seats compared to the 5000-series layout. Enhanced air conditioning systems provide better airflow during warmer months, and laser sensors installed above doors count passengers to assist CTA in optimizing schedules. Door sensors also allow trains to adjust alignment for platforms with varying heights.
Contracting and production
On February 20, 2016, Canada's Bombardier Transportation and China's CRRC Sifang America were shortlisted as finalists for the contract; Bombardier was the manufacturer of the previous 5000-series cars. On March 9, 2016, CRRC Sifang America was awarded the contract with a bid $226 million lower than Bombardier’s proposal. Bombardier filed a protest citing procurement irregularities; however, on September 28, 2016, CTA confirmed CRRC as the selected manufacturer.
CRRC established a new $100 million railcar production facility in Chicago’s Hegewisch neighborhood and invested an additional $7.2 million in training approximately 170 employees. This represented the first time in over five decades that CTA railcars were produced locally. Production began in June 2019 with plans spanning more than ten years. CRRC intended to use this plant for additional contracts with San Francisco’s transit system and Chicago’s Metra commuter rail; however, Metra awarded its contract to Alstom in 2021. CRRC also competed for contracts from New York’s Long Island Rail Road and Washington Metro but lost those bids to Kawasaki and Hitachi Rail respectively.
The contract required delivery of a test trainset by October 2019; mass production was planned to start October 2020 at a rate of ten cars per month. Prototype testing took place in late 2019 and early 2020. The first batch of 7000-series vehicles arrived at Skokie Shops in August 2020 with testing beginning in October that year. Passenger service trials commenced on April 21, 2021, followed by production deliveries starting June 2022. The series officially entered full revenue service in August 2022.
The CTA’s budget for 2025 includes provisions aimed at accelerating completion of the entire 7000-series fleet.
CRRC Controversy
Legally, at least 69% of the components in each rail car must be sourced from the United States. The car shells are produced in China, then transported by ship to ports in Los Angeles or Houston before being trucked to Chicago for final assembly at the CRRC Sifang America facility. As a Chinese state-owned enterprise, CRRC has raised concerns regarding potential risks such as malware infiltration, cyberattacks, and government surveillance by China. Nevertheless, critical elements including computer hardware, software modules, and automatic train control systems are supplied by American and Canadian companies. Out of the 24 vendors involved in the project, 19 are based in the U.S., with 16 having previously worked on contracts with the CTA. The CTA maintains strict oversight over production and holds authority to suspend work if deemed necessary. Payments are withheld until the delivery of cars is complete, with penalties of $300 imposed for each day a delivery is delayed.
CRRC also provides rapid transit trains to Boston; however, CTA Vice President Ellen McCormack noted challenges in obtaining detailed information about those vehicles.
In 2019, the U.S. Congress debated legislation to prohibit federal funding for buses and trains manufactured in China due to concerns about unfair market practices, sabotage, and espionage. Although bipartisan support helped pass a national security bill through the House of Representatives, it failed to advance through the Senate committee. This proposed law would prevent future purchases from CRRC within the United States but would not impact existing contracts held by the CTA.
See also
- MPM-10 (Montreal Metro)
- R211 (New York City Subway car)
- Toronto Rocket
- 8000 series (Washington Metro)
External links
- 7000-series Rail Cars on the official CTA website.
- 7000-series Cars at Chicago-L.org